“Ha-eun is definitely the best choice.”

Two days had passed since the audition for the role of Yeongwol. In a spacious meeting room at the KBC Drama Department, the casting meeting for *Moonlight Drawn by Clouds* was in full swing.

The main topic was, of course, the casting of the lead role, Yeongwol. No casting decision is more important than choosing the main character.

Typically, these meetings can last a long time, as they need to discuss and debate to find the actor who best fits the lead role.

However, this time was different. The staff who had been at the audition for Yeongwol already knew who was destined for the role.

"Honestly, there were actors who were somewhat comparable in terms of looks…”
“But when it came to the swordplay performance, no one could match her. It was so realistic it gave me chills.”

Her gaze, her expressions, her movements—everything perfectly matched the essence of Yeongwol. A performance that left no room for criticism.

But beyond the quality of Ha-eun's acting, there were other aspects that earned her additional points.

“I honestly didn’t expect her to go to action school just for the audition.”
“And she started exactly when we began looking for the Yeongwol actor. It’s rare to find an actor who shows that level of dedication.”
“Not to mention, I saw her personally greet every stunt actor. I thought, ‘This one’s got it.’”

Her behavior was far from arrogant.

Considering that other stars her age often get lost in their own fame, Ha-eun's mature attitude at the audition stood out as a major plus.

No one opposed casting Ha-eun for the role of Yeongwol. With that, Ha-eun was officially chosen to take on the role.

“How about using her audition footage as a promotional teaser?”

One of the staff members suggested using Ha-eun’s audition video, which had impressed everyone, as a teaser for the drama.

“Yeah, it would be a waste to just discard that footage.”
“Even releasing just a two-minute uncut clip would probably create a huge buzz.”

The video showed both life-or-death intensity and realism, made possible by Ha-eun’s incredible performance and the dedication of the stunt actors who played against her.

However, one person in the room held back his enthusiasm. Director Jin Gyuseong of *Moonlight Drawn by Clouds* was that person.

“…I have some reservations.”

While the other staff were blinded by the potential promotional impact, he took a different stance.

“Let’s start filming first. If we capture a similar scene, then we can decide.”

Ha-eun’s performance at the audition was impromptu. No one had given her instructions about her footwork, gaze direction, or the sequence of sword moves. The only things set were the lines and atmosphere.

While the future sword scenes would be based on the audition scene, recreating the audition’s spontaneity during actual filming seemed nearly impossible.

That’s because the sword Ha-eun used in the audition…

"Uh, Director, I’m sorry. Some of the swords were missing, so we brought a few extras from the props storage…”

The sword wasn’t one specifically prepared for the Yeongwol audition. Nor was it one intended for *Moonlight Drawn by Clouds*.

Unlike the lightweight swords chosen with actresses’ wrists in mind, this one differed in both material and weight. While it wasn’t as sharp as a real blade, its worn-down edge was still quite dangerous.

Why such an old sword was even in the drama department's prop storage remains a mystery. But above all…

"…Usually, if a sword is heavy, wouldn’t an actor ask for a different one?"

The biggest issue was that Ha-eun had performed with this heavy sword.

The Yeongwol audition was something Director Jin had strongly insisted on. In other words, any unforeseen issues that arose during the audition would ultimately be his responsibility.

The worst-case scenario would have been an actual injury to an actor. Lightweight swords were prepared specifically to prevent such risks.

Yet, not only had Ha-eun wielded a sword heavy enough to strain her wrist, but its worn edge had narrowly missed the stunt actors multiple times.

Though no one was ultimately injured, this was not something to be taken lightly.

Had any real injuries occurred, and articles about them surfaced, the entire drama production could have been halted. In this sense, Director Jin’s ‘appropriate action’ was a natural precaution.

He was determined to be extremely careful to prevent any similar incidents during actual filming, and his decision to put a hold on using the audition footage as a teaser was an extension of that caution.

“Still, I trust that Ha-eun won’t show any less skill in the actual filming, so let’s table the teaser video for now.”

With that, the discussion on the teaser video was postponed, and they moved on to the casting for the role of Queen Yoon.

Unlike the role of Yeongwol, where Ha-eun had been the sole candidate, there were several actresses under consideration for Queen Yoon.

“Given Ji-woo’s experience in historical dramas─”
“But Yoon-hee’s voice projection is─”

The staff couldn't easily reach a consensus, and the debate over Queen Yoon’s casting continued for quite a while.

About ten minutes later, Director Jin brought up the name of an actress he personally had in mind.

“Well, putting everything else aside, Da-yeon’s performance seems to match Ha-eun’s the best. What do you all think?”

Min Da-yeon. An actress who had gained recognition as a child star.

She had set the standard for child actors back in the day, and her acting skills were on par with other actresses. Her appearance was also that of a full-fledged actress.

However, she had appeared in so many productions since childhood that…

“Isn’t she a bit too familiar by now?”

No matter the role, audiences tended to see her as simply "the actress Min Da-yeon," rather than the character she was portraying.

Her extensive work history had somewhat eroded her ability to transform into distinct roles.

But in the Queen Yoon audition, the Da-yeon that Director Jin had encountered…

“…She was certainly more intense than what was in the script.”

It was as if her performance assumed Ha-eun would play the role of Yeongwol.

The other actresses had portrayed Queen Yoon by emphasizing her high status, keeping Yeongwol in check with a sense of superiority.

Da-yeon, however, acted as if she knew that status alone would not be enough to restrain Ha-eun’s Yeongwol.

“If someone else had been cast as Yeongwol, I might have considered more options.”

“You mean Da-yeon tailored her performance specifically to Ha-eun’s?”

“That’s how it felt to me.”

Sharper, colder eyes. A voice filled not with aristocratic aloofness, but with a wary intensity.

Most importantly, it was as if she was prepared to clash head-on with Ha-eun.

“To be honest, I think any other actress would get completely overshadowed by Ha-eun.”

This convinced Director Jin that Da-yeon was the right fit for Queen Yoon—a formidable match for Ha-eun’s Yeongwol.

“Indeed, when you think of someone to face off against Ha-eun…”

Da-yeon’s presence grew, and after watching her audition footage on the monitor, the decision was clear.

“…It’s settled, then.”

There was no one left to oppose casting Da-yeon. As Director Jin predicted, only Da-yeon’s performance could stand up to Ha-eun’s.

***

“So, filming starts at 3 p.m.?”

“Yeah. I’ll probably have to leave after the fifth period.”

In a small meeting room at Narae Arts High School’s faculty office, Ha-eun was discussing her adjusted schedule with her homeroom teacher.

This was because she had just received confirmation yesterday that she was cast as Yeongwol.

“Got it. I’ll let the other teachers know, so you can just leave when it’s time.”

“Oh, thank you, teacher.”

Narae Arts High had always accommodated its celebrity students, so Ha-eun’s early leave wasn’t an issue. However, something else weighed on her teacher’s mind.

Earlier, Da-yeon, from the class next door, had spoken to her homeroom teacher about the same schedule.

But it wasn’t just that she was leaving at the same time—she had also made a specific request to Ha-eun’s teacher.

“Please don’t tell Ha-eun about this. I’m asking you as a favor.”

Da-yeon had asked her teacher not to let Ha-eun know they’d be leaving at the same time. Given that Ha-eun and Da-yeon were known to be close friends, this was unexpected.

Regardless, the teachers had a hunch. Both of these actresses from Narae Arts High were likely cast in the same project.

“So, if I ask what the project is, I suppose you won’t tell me?”

“Teacher Park, rumors spread so fast on social media these days. Let’s wait for the news. We’ll know soon enough.”

Curious and excited about Ha-eun and Da-yeon’s first joint project, the teachers speculated.

“Do you think they’ll be playing friends?”

While Ha-eun’s homeroom teacher imagined a friendly relationship between their roles, Ha-eun and Da-yeon were having a rather different conversation.

“Um, Ha-eun.”

“Hm?”

“Well, if I, uh… slap you, will you be mad?”